Second Chance with Romance
by degrassichick
Summary: When April moves to town, Soda begins to feels things he didn't think he could feel anymore. But as the romance begins to blossom... people return, and chaos occurs.
1. The Memoir

First attempt at an Outsiders fan fiction, Soda/OC...hope you like!

Peace out,

Degrassichick92

- - - -

Chapter 1

- - - -

15 year old, Ponyboy Curtis sat at his desk, tapping his pencil on the pad of paper in front of him.

"Please stop tapping the damn pencil," his 17 year old brother Soda groaned, covering his head up with a pillow.

Pony looked at the clock on his desk, he didn't realize it was one o'clock in the morning and he still hadn't got his English memoir done that was due tomorrow.

He glanced at a picture on his desk of him with his old best friend Johnny, they were leaning against a wall with cigarettes in their mouths, grinning and naturally having a good time.

Pony felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes and he went back to thinking about a topic to write about.

He thought about writing about the frightful event that had happened last year with his old best friend Johnny and his friend Dallas. They both wound up dying in the same night. It was brutal and utterly crushed Ponyboy along with his friends Steve and Two Bit, and his brothers Soda and Darry. He couldn't write about that again though, he wrote that last year.

He looked at what his paper had on it already, 3 horses.

Typical.

"I have to finish this," Ponyboy replied.

"Do it in the morning," Soda said, rolling around in the bed, trying to get away from the light blaring.

"It's _due_ in the morning!"

Soda groaned and just squeezed his eyes shut.

One look at Soda made Pony know exactly what to write about, something that had happened two months earlier, right after Ponyboy's fifteenth birthday.

_It started out as an ordinary day, I was waiting for the usual nurse that came by every afternoon to give me my antidepressant pill, no matter how much I told her I didn't need her to come check in on me anymore, I was tuff. Whoever I was thinking this to took it very literal, the nurse didn't show up. But a girl who couldn't have been a day older than sixteen walked into my bedroom, she was in a candy striper uniform and she had her hand clutched around something, probably my pills._

- - - -

TWO MONTHS EARLIER

"Hi, I'm April," the girl said sweetly, holding her free hand out to shake Ponyboy's.

"Ponyboy," he replied a confused tone filling his voice.

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to be filling in for Rhonda for the next few months or so, she just gave birth last night," April said with a smile.

_So that's why you're here..._Ponyboy thought.

No doubt about it this girl was beautiful.

She had straight strawberry blonde hair that cascaded across her shoulders, tan skin, and green eyes. She looked to be about 5'5 and she was pretty slender.

"Did Ronda mention that I don't need the pills anymore...?" Ponyboy lied, hoping she wouldn't give him one. He didn't need them anymore. He wasn't depressed over the thing that had happened with Johnny and Dallas.

April shook her head and smirked at Ponyboy, "No, but she mentioned you would say that," she said and sat the pill down on the desk right in front of him, "I'm going to go get you some water," she said and walked out of the bedroom and down the small hallway to the Curtis's bathroom.

Pony slid the pill off the table and dropped it to the floor and covered it up with his foot.

April glided back into the room, "Where's your pill?" she asked, looking at the table and then at Ponyboy.

"I swallowed it dry," he said, as his ankle began to itch terribly.

He lifted up his other foot and rubbed his ankle, not thinking about the pill being in April's eye shot.

"Nice try," April said and reached down, grabbing the pill and placing it in his hand.

She handed him the glass of water.

Pony rolled his eyes but put it in his mouth and gulped down the water.

"There...happy?" he asked, wiping off his wet mouth with the back of his hand.

April smirked, "Very,"

"Now you don't have to ask me all those really stupid questions do you? You know, about how I am feeling and all that?"

"No...do I need to?" April asked.

He shook his head quickly.

"Okay then," April said.

"Did you just move here?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yep...from Florida, why?"

"I just never seen you around school, how old are you?"

"Sixteen,"

"I'm home for anyone who cares!" Soda's normal cheerful voice echoed through the house.  
He stepped inside his and Pony's room and was kind of surprised to see someone other than Ronda in there.

"Hi...?" Soda said, with a small smirk on his face, taking his DX hat off of his head.

"Soda, this is April. April this is my brother Sodapop," Ponyboy said.

"You guys have weird nicknames," April said.

"They aren't nicknames, they are our real names, says so on our birth certificates," Soda said.

"Wow,"

"April just moved here from Florida," Ponyboy said, and then noticed the somewhat heartbroken look in his eyes.

"What's wrong with your brother?" April asked.

"His ex-girlfriend, Sandy, lives in Florida," I responded, shooting Soda an apologetic look.

"My best friends name is Sandy. But I doubt it's the same girl, she never mentioned having a boyfriend named Soda,"

"She pretty much got rid of all existence of him when she moved to Florida,"

"Still...I doubt Sandy Mathis and your ex girlfriend are the same person," April said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

Soda looked insanely hurt at that, he got up from where he was sitting on his and Pony's bed and left the room, tears filling his eyes.

April turned to Ponyboy confusingly, "What did I say?"

-

R&R!! Lotsa Love, degrassichick92


	2. The Difference Between Socs and Greasers

**Heather: Thanks for the tip. I'm just going to make Soda turning eighteen in like two months since I don't want him to be a complete adult yet. And this chapter may seem a tad bit Mary-Sue(ish) but PLEASE don't give up on it, it gets better if you think this is alot like a Mary Sue...I promise.**

**That goes for everyone actually, if it seems like a Mary-Sue and you don't like it, well it doesn't exactly stay a Mary-Sue.**

**And everyone else, thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming, here's Chapter 2: The Difference Between Socs and Greasers**

**Chapter 2**

**- - - - **

"I didn't want to have to think about her anymore," Soda said to no one unparticular, burying his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice said from behind him.

"Its fine, you didn't know," he said turning around to see April.

"No it's not fine, I feel like a genuine jerk right now," April said, running a hand through her strawberry blonde hair.

"Well don't, you didn't know Sandy was my girlfriend, emphasis on was,"

"What happened?" April asked.

"I wanted to marry her, her parents freaked out and made her move to Florida. The first letter I sent her she sent right back to me, unopened and everything,"

"Oh my God," April said quietly, shaking her head slowly.

"Yep," Soda said, leaning back on the couch, stretching his back.

"Well I'm really sorry," April said.

"How is Sandy?" Sodapop asked.

"Fine...she has a boyfriend, his names Billy," April said and then added, "he's not half as cute as you are,"

A blush rose to Soda's tan cheeks, "Thanks," he said with a small smirk.

"Don't mention it," April said, waving her hand in the air and then glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, "Shit," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Sodapop asked.

"I have to go, my mom is gonna freak, I was supposed to be home like ten minutes ago but I got lost on my way here, anyway...I have to go, I'll see you around though. It was really nice meeting you," April said with a smile, walking backwards.

"You too," Soda said, smiling.

"Bye," April said with a wave and then disappeared out the screen door.

Soda could hear her running footsteps, he leaned his head back on the couch, his eyes closed and a dopey smile on his face.

"What's up with you?" a voice that startled him asked.

He jolted up and looked at Darry who was smirking at him.

"Nothing," Soda said in a dazed voice before gliding into his bedroom.

- - - - -

"You're late," April Highland's mother said, rising from where she was seated on the couch.

April could smell the strong scent of beer wafting in the air.

"Sorry, I got lost on my way to the house and-" April started.

_SMACK!_

Her mothers cold hand hit her across the cheek, her long hard fingernails dug in to her flesh, "I want you home when you're supposed to be home, that clear?" her mother asked.

"Yeah," April grumbled, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes, she turned and ran up the stairs to her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her as she let her tears fall freely. Of course she was used to this, ever since her dad left them, her mom became a strong alcoholic.

"Damn it," April said to the ceiling and beyond, "I hate you,"

- - - - -

"Thank you, have a nice day," Sodapop said with a smile to the old woman who was just purchasing some coffee.

She smiled a toothless smile at him before slowly creaking her way out of the DX Station, the door was held open for her.

"Thank you," the lady said.

"No problem," a familiar voice -that made Soda's head jerk up- say.

Soda could feel himself smiling, April had just walked in.

"Hey Soda, I forgot you worked here," she said with a smile, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I do," he said with a smile.

"So how's business at 3 PM?" she asked, looking at the empty gas station.

"Like this," Soda said and then laughed along with April.

April walked over to the soda pop area and pulled out to glass bottles of Coca Cola, "On me," she said placing them on the counter and sliding over a dollar bill.

"Thanks," Soda said and placed the dollar in the register.

April slid him over one of the bottles, "A soda for Soda," she said with a laugh. Soda laughed too and reached down into a drawer pulling out a bottle opener, he lifted off the tops of both his and April's bottles.

"What happened to your face?" he asked, staring at the red mark on her tan cheek.  
April pressed her hand to her cheek wincing at the sting, "Nothing, smacked into something I guess last night, my house was dark when I got home,"

"Who hit you?" Soda asked, not believing her.

"That obvious?"

"It's shaped like a handprint and there are scratches," he said.

April blushed with embarrassment and Soda laughed, "Don't worry about it, its not like I've never been hit,"

"By your drunken mother?" she asked, taking a sip out of her Coke.

"My moms been dead for almost two years," Soda said, staring at his feet.

"Oh God, I have a really good way of making you feel bad huh?" she asked, wincing.

"It's fine. Last year Ponyboy was in this big fire, me and Darry were terrified that we were going to lose him too,"

"Darry?" April questioned.

"Older brother," Soda said.

April nodded, "I'm really sorry about your mom,"

"And dad," Soda finished.

"Your dad died too?" she asked.

Soda nodded.

"Once again, sorry,"

The two stood in silence for a minute until April finally spoke up, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen... I'll be eighteen in a little over two months. You?"

"Sixteen going on seventeen next month, do you go to school with Ponyboy?"

Soda shook his head taking a sip out of his soda.

"But if you're seventeen then you should be a junior or a senior shouldn't you?"

"Drop out,"

April nodded as the bells to the doors of the DX jingled.

"Get outta here Socs!" a guy with a grey tee shirt with Mickey Mouse yelled.

"Yeah, you don't belong here!" another guy with a DX uniform yelled.

"Oh, Sodapop, didn't know you had a_ lady_ here," Mickey Mouse guy said.

"This is April, I met her yesterday," Soda said, "April, this is Two Bit and Steve," he said gesturing to the two guys.

"Hey pretty lady," Two Bit said with a smile.

"Lay off y'all," Soda warned.

"Yeah...what he said," April said.

"She's cute..." Steve said, eyeing April up and down, his eyes pausing on her breasts.

"Up here perv," April said.

"Ooh, feisty," Two Bit said.

April rolled her eyes at them and then turned back to Soda, "I better go, I have to stop by your place and give Pony his antidepressant, see you around," she said with a smile and then squirmed between Two Bit and Steve, "Nice meeting you guys," she said and then walked out the doors.

Two Bit watched her go and then turned back to Soda, "Damn, how come you always get the girls?"

Soda's dopey smile returned to his face as he watched April disappear into the distance, "I have no idea,"

- - - - -

"I told you I don't need them anymore," Ponyboy whined.

"Just take the pill Pony," April pleaded.

"No," Ponyboy remarked, as his mouth formed in an O, April stuffed it in his mouth and held out a cup of water.

"Take it,"

Pony gulped down the water, "I really hope your happy with this, I hate those,"

April nodded, "I've had to take them before... they aren't _that_ bad,"

Ponyboy looked up at her, "Could you grab me about 4 aspirins?"

"Why?" April asked, confused.

"Rumbling tonight, need the energy and I need to be headache free,"

"Rumbling?" April repeated.

"Yeah, against the Socs,"

"What are the Socs?" April asked.

"The rich kids from the other side of town, we usually fight them once a month tonight is the night,"

"You're not fighting are you?"

Ponyboy nodded, "Of course I am," he said, sounding as if he took it offensively.

"What about Soda?" April asked.

"Yeah, we all fight," Ponyboy said as if she knew nothing.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"We're greasers, they're Socs, the difference between us and them, we're not worried about ruining our Madras ski jackets or getting blood on our pants-its their own fault for wearing white in a place with grass stains and blood-, we fight for fun or if we need to, we're buddies and it makes us stronger than them by up to at least five times, nothings dangerous for us...well, except for the fire,"

"Soda told me about that,"

"Did he tell you about Johnny and Dally?"

"Are they greasers too?"

Ponyboy stared at his feet with sorrow, "Kinda,"

"Kinda?"

"They're dead," Ponyboy said quietly.

"See? You can't fight if they died from it,"

"They didn't die from rumbling. Johnny died from a fire and Dallas got shot from robbing a grocery store," Ponyboy said.

"Oh...you were in the fire too weren't you?"

"Yep, but I didn't get as hurt as either of them, I just got a smoke covered face,"

April nodded in understanding and then checked the clock, she had to be home in ten minutes and it took at least nine minutes to get there if she ran fast, "Well I've gotta head out...I'll see you later, don't get hurt tonight okay?"

"Yeah sure, if you wanna watch which is highly doubtable, it's at the lot,"

"The lot?"

"It's about 2 blocks from here,"

April nodded, "I'll just look for the crowd," she said and began to walk off.

"Just look for a bonfire!" Pony called after her.

"Got it!" April called back and then as she reached the door, it swung open and Sodapop came in with a guy in a white muscle tank a blue plaid over shirt and jeans, he had thick big hair and was somewhat handsome.

"Oh, April hey...this is my brother Darry," Soda said.

"Hey...I'd love to stay and chat but I'm really late getting home and it's pretty far out so..." April said and grabbed the screen door.

"Oh, Soda can give you a ride," Darry said and tossed his car keys into Soda's hand.

"Would you mind?" April asked.

"'Course not, c'mon," Soda said and walked out the door, April right behind him.

- - - - -

"Nice house," Soda said, staring at the big brick two story house.

"Thanks," April said, "For complementing my house and for giving me a ride home. You're a cool guy Soda," she said as she got out of the car, and as she walked away and up her front steps she turned to look back at him and gave him a smile, "Sandy has no clue what she's missing," she said with a wave and then hurried up the steps and into her house, disappearing behind the door.  
Soda sighed and leaned his head against the headrest, smiling.

"Soda is finally back in action!" Soda exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fist in the air as he tore away from the curb.

- - - - -

April stepped into the house as quietly as possible.

Her mother was passed out on the couch, holding a bottle of vodka.

"Thank god," April whispered and ran silently up the stairs to her bedroom.

She flopped onto her white comforter with purple flowers and sighed, her hair sprayed across the pillow.  
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh and wound up falling asleep.

Dreaming of Sodapop Curtis...

And her boyfriend.

- - - -

Please R&R! Lotsa love, degrassichick92


	3. Let's Get Ready to RUMBLE!

**AN: Hey everyone, thanks alot for the reviews...for those of you who think this is way too Mary Sue cliche...this chapter is a lil less like that...kinda, I think? Well, whatever...anyways everyone, thanks for the reviews and heres Chapter 3**

**Chapter 3**

**- - - - -**

April rolled around in her bed and then her eyes popped open, it was now near dark, she glanced at the clock which read 7:45. She tumbled off the bed and changed out of her clothes into a periwinkle blue sweater and a white A-Line skirt. She pulled on a pair of plain white Keds and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

She slung her purse over her shoulder, walked downstairs, left a note for her mom and walked out the door.

She ran most of the way to the rumble, until she saw a bonfire and slowed down as she saw a Blue Mustang pulling up and three guys coming out.

"Check out that looker," one of the guys with jet black hair said, "Randy, check her out," he said nudging a guy with curly brown hair.

Randy, April was guessing, turned and looked at her and he had a look of excitement in his eyes as he walked towards her, "You here to cheer us Socs on tonight?" he asked, putting his hands in the pockets of his white pleated pants.   
April looked his outfit over, brown loafers, white pleated pants, and a red sweater.

"You're going to fight in that?"

"Yep, you gonna be my cheerleader?" Randy asked cockily.

"Hey April, over here!" Ponyboy called from the other side of the lot.

"Um, no...I'm cheering on the greasers..."

"You're a greaser?" Randy asked with disgust.

"I guess so," April said with a shrug.

Randy put his hand on her waist and pressed her up against him tightly, "You look like a Soc,"

April tried to break out of his grip but he was forceful, "Don't judge a book by its cover,"

"Don't smart off to me," Randy said, looking as if he was going to smack her.

"Let me go," April said, squirming out of his grip which just made him hold her tighter.

"Randy?" a voice said from behind Randy tapping him on the shoulder.

Randy let April go and turned to the guy, who turned out to be none other than Sodapop, who swung a punch right at his face, "I think she said let her go," he said as Randy fell to the ground.

"LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" Two Bit yelled as Greasers attacked Socs and vice versa.

April began to back away, she hated fights. The only reason she came was to see Sodapop, who was rolling around with Randy on the ground and getting tugged up by another Soc who was attempting to hurt him.

April had had enough, she turned and ran.

- - - - -

April stepped into the DX early the next morning just as it was opening up wearing a pink sweater and white pants and her hair was pulled into a ponytail.

"Fancy seeing you here," the guy from yesterday April remembered as Steve said from the counter he was behind, taking a sip out of a Budweiser.

"Isn't kinda early?" she asked, referring to his beer.

"Not for me," he said and sighed happily at the taste to get her annoyed.

She scoffed and turned away, she hated drinkers, her mother was one, and so were Steve and all the other greasers probably.

_Which would include Soda, _April thought.

"Does Soda drink?" April blurted.

Steve slightly nodded, "But barely. And Darry doesn't drink," Steve said.

April nodded as the door bells jangled and someone stepped in.

"Hey Soda," Steve said, "Just talking to your girlfriend here," Steve said with a smirk and then walked off, heading towards the garage.

"What are you doing here so early, it's only seven and it's a Saturday," Soda said, glancing at his watch.

"Yeah, I know. Couldn't sleep last night,"

"Could say the same thing but it wouldn't be the truth, I'm always up by 6:30 since I have to be at work by seven,"

April nodded, "Still tired though,"

"Well here's a thought," Soda said.

"What?" April asked.

"Go home and sleep!" he beamed.

"Yeah, wish me luck with that, my mom should be getting up any second and then it'll be hell for me, I'm better just staying here,"

Soda nodded.

"So...," April started, "Some fight last night huh?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, it wasn't as bad as some others," Soda said, "And as predicted we won,"

April looked him over. He had a black eye and a scar on his cheek

"Ouch," she said, looking at his scars.

"They barely hurt, you get used to it after awhile,"

"How long have you been a greaser?"

Soda looked as if he was thinking about it, "A little over two years, after our parents died we started getting into fights, at first none of us did, Darry was a star on the football team and Ponyboy and I were doing good in school...then my parents died and so did everything else,"

April nodded as the doors swung open again, "Damn, how can you guys be up so early?" Two Bit asked, stumbling in to the DX Station.

"How come you are?" Soda responded.

Two Bit grinned, "I barely sleep,"

"Yeah you wish," Sodapop scoffed and then turned to April, "he's a pure bum,"

"Hey now," Two Bit warned.

"So Two Bit are you in school?"

"You could say that..." Two Bit said with a yawn.

"He is, along with Steve, their seniors and Ponyboy's a sophomore," said Soda.

"You guys get a lot of business here don't you?" April asked with a laugh as the door yet again opened up only this time a girl with long red hair stepped inside.

"Well what do you know, Cherry Valance!" Two Bit cried out as if he hadn't seen her in years.

"Hi Two Bit, hey Soda," Cherry, April was guessing, said stepping up to the counter, she turned to April and smiled, "I don't think we've met, I'm Sherry, but everyone calls me Cherry because of my hair, what's your name,"

April smiled, "We _haven't_ met and I'm April,"

Cherry smiled, "Soc or greaser?"

_What is with these people? _April thought to herself.

"I don't know, this guy last night-"

"Randy," Soda interrupted with a small hint of anger in his voice.

"Right," April said and gave a small smile to Sodapop, "_Randy_, thought I was a Soc and came onto me so-" April stopped when she saw Cherry shaking her head with a laughing smile.

"What's so funny?" April asked.

"It's typical Randy, sorry," Cherry said.

"Anyway I told him I was cheering on the greasers, he wouldn't let go of me, Soda came up and the fighting started,"

Cherry nodded in understanding, "You've gotta love it when that happens,"

"You're a greaser?"

Cherry opened up her mouth to answer but Two Bit interrupted, "Hell no! She is a Soc for sure,"

"Thanks _Two Bit_," Cherry said sarcastically and then looked at the clock on the wall, "I have to go, I'm heading over to Marcia's for breakfast and then we're heading out to do some shopping,"

"It's 6:45," Soda said.

Cherry nodded, "We'll be done by 7:30 and stores open at eight, early bird gets the worm,"

Soda nodded with a confused look on his face.

"Okay," Two Bit said with the nose of a beer bottle clenched between his teeth as he dug around for a doughnut in the pastry section, "Bye,"

"Bye," Cherry said to him and Sodapop and then turned to April, "Nice meeting you,"

April smiled, "Likewise I'm sure,"

Cherry smiled back and exited the DX.

Sodapop turned to Two Bit who was now happily munching on a doughnut while taking turns swigging down a bottle of beer, "Did you pay for that?"

Two Bit smirked, "What do you think?"

April looked out the glass windows and saw Cherry stepping into a Stingray, she hadn't hung out with friends like that in a long time.

"Guys," April said, "I'm going to head out, see you," she said and hurried out the door.

"Cherry!" she called out.

Cherry, who was unlocking her car door, turned to her smiling, "Yeah?"

April smiled back as she winced in the sunlight, "Mind if I come with?"


	4. Jumping to Conclusions

**AN: Hey all...thanks for the reviews but now I am officially confused.**

**I tried making the last chapter less Mary Sue cliché so the people who didn't like Mary Sue's might like it better (I think they might have but not sure) but the people who liked the Mary Sue cliché didn't like this chapter as much as the others...so I'm going to have to go one way or another.**

**Tonyboy: Randy was not going to rape April, just making moves on her... my friend had me put it in there for her own sake since she always thought there was a "mysterious and different" side of Randy, he was drinking when they were at the Drive In and same with the Sodapop fighting thing, my friend co wrote the chapter (so half credit goes to Hilary) anyway...I'll try to keep this one more in character even though this chapter more about April than the whole romance thing, so I hope you like this chapter better and like I said I'll try to keep them more in character. Thanks for the reviews and please keep 'em coming!**

**Lotsa love, degrassichick92**

**- - - - - **

**Chapter 4**

**- - - - -**

"So where'd you move here from?" Marcia asked as they neared one of their favorite clothing stores in the strip mall and walked inside.

"Florida,"

"That's nice, I went there with my family on vacation last year,"

"Beautiful isn't it?" April asked.

Marcia shrugged, "I wouldn't know, I was sick and spent my time in the hotel room watching Elvis movies, remember that Cherry?"

"How could I forget?" Cherry asked with a laugh, "You made me stay with you,"

Marcia laughed back, "And then we made that list of the most gorgeous bachelors in our age range that lived in Oklahoma,"

"Oh yeah, who was number one on our list?"

"Um," Marcia said and then turned back to Cherry, "Sodapop Curtis I think,"

"He's is gorgeous," Cherry responded.

"He is fine, but not my boyfriend,"

"Who is your boyfriend?" April spoke up.

"Well it was Randy," Marcia said, "Then he cheated on me a few months ago, Keith Matthews asked me out and we've been a couple since,"

"She doesn't know names that well Marsh," Cherry said and then turned to April, "She means Two Bit,"

"You're with Two Bit?"

Marcia nodded and then looked worried, "Why? Is he cheating on me? Oh god, is he cheating on me with _you_?"

April's eyes widened, "No, no, _no_. I'm not with Two Bit and I don't think he's cheating on you, I just thought it was some weird rule that's all,"

"What?" Marcia asked, "That greasers can go out with Socs?"

April nodded.

"Well," Cherry replied, "It kind of is true but those two really liked each other. Just like I had a small crush on Dallas Winston,"

April looked confused, guessing who Dallas was, "Dallas Winston meaning...?"

"Dally," Cherry replied, "But I never called him that, of course he was a jerk to me but I liked him,"

"So?" Marcia asked turning to April, "Do you like anyone yet?"

"Kind of, but I have a boyfriend back in Key West,"

"Who do you like here?" Marcia asked.

"Sodapop I think," Cherry said.

"Why would you think that?" April asked.

"Just seemed like it, he seemed kind of angry when he said it was Randy coming on to you so..."

Marcia grinned, "Is it Soda?"

April shrugged, "Kind of,"

"He's a doll," Marcia said with satisfaction.

"So is my boyfriend Ron,"

"You have a picture?" Cherry asked as she looked through blouses.

April dug into her purse until she found one and handed it to them, it was of the two of them at a bowling alley party over the summer, they had their arms around each other and were laughing.

"He's cute," Cherry said with a smile.

"Very! How come she gets all the cute guys?" Marcia asked turning to April who shrugged in reply.

"Two Bit's not ugly, and he's pretty goofy," April said and Cherry nodded in agreement.

Marcia rolled her eyes and handed the picture back to April who tucked it back in her purse and they went back to shopping.

- - - - -

"Thanks for letting me go shopping with you guys," April said gratefully as they pulled up to the curb next to April's house.

"No problem," Cherry said with a smile.

"Yeah, it was fun," Marcia grinned.

April smiled at them with a wave and headed into her house.

- - - - -

"Who are you to tell me I can't raise a child?!" April's mother's voice boomed through the house.   
April crept into the kitchen, her mom was leaned against the counter with a bottle of liquor in her hand and the telephone cradled in the crook of her neck.

"You're the one who walked out on a ten year old!"

April knew they were arguing about her, her older brother Dan had left home when he was fifteen, the year their dad left them.

"What if she doesn't want to go back to Florida? She very well might want to stay here with her mother!"

_Umm...no, I like Tulsa, but I hate you._

April listened to her mothers half of the conversation.

"She's not home right now and even if she was she would say she wanted to live with me...I don't trust her with you...hell no am I going to ask her if I'm a good mother...don't you get onto me about my alcohol problems you're the drug addict...well same to you! No you go to hell!" and with that her mother slammed the phone down.

April crept away just as her mother walked out of the kitchen but it was too late, she saw her.

_Please don't hit me._

"Damn your father," was all her mom said before going upstairs and closing her bedroom door.

April leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.

Her parents fought all the time, her mother always made it seem like she was the good parent but she wasn't, she adored her dad so much more but he lived in New York City now with money and a family and she lived in Oklahoma, chances that she would ever see her dad again were double negative.

Just then the phone rang and startled her, she ran to the kitchen and picked it up, "Hello?"

"April? It's Ponyboy,"

"Hey Pony, what is it?"

"You forgot my antidepressant,"

"And you are reminding me?"

"Yeah, whatever...just reminding you,"

"Be there in a minute," April said and sat down the phone on its receiver and then ran upstairs and grabbed the small white bottle that had PONYBOY written on it in marker.

She slid it into the pocket of her pants and then walked downstairs, "Gotta go!" she called out to her mother and then walked out the door.

- - - - -

"Here," she said sliding the pill into his hand.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically and popped it into his mouth and chugged down the water.

"Well you didn't have to call you know,"

"You forgot, I remembered, that usually isn't the case but still. Besides, I'm bored to wits end right now," Ponyboy said.

"Why don't you get a job?"

"Hah," Ponyboy scoffed, "That's actually not a bad idea. I could work at the DX or something,"

"Yeah, along with Soda and Steve,"

"Yeah that'd be a treat," Ponyboy scoffed.

"I thought you liked Soda?"

"I was talking about Steve," Pony said sarcastically.

April rolled her eyes at him knowing he was just joshing her.

"Anyways, I better head out, I'll see you tomorrow," April said with a smile.

"Alright, later," Ponyboy said with a flap of his hand.

"Bye," she said and walked down the hallway and out the door of the Curtis house.

As she neared the door, it swung open and she was face to face with Sodapop.

"Oh...hey Soda," she said with a smile.

Soda smirked at her, "Hey April, do you want to stay for dinner?"

"I would if I could but I can't, I have to head home," she replied.

"Oh...do you need a ride then?"

"No, I'm okay," April said giving him a small smile.

Sodapop nodded, "Okay, well then I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah...sure, I'll see you," she said and with a wave exited through the door.

Soda leaned against the door with a sigh, April had been acting sort of off to him, just the same way Sandy had before she left for Florida. Not that he was dating April or anything but if he was...

Soda shook the idea out of his head, he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Besides, all rich girls can't be like that...right?


	5. Hoping for a Dream

**Vincenza: Not trying to sound harsh or anything but, first let me say I am basing this more on the movie than the book, second, I never said Sandy was a Soc, she just had money…that doesn't clarify you as a soc automatically, and third, in the book it mentioned Marcia and Two Bit engaged in their own little world conversation whatever thing which means they could get together, besides they flirted with each other and Cherry pretty much said she liked Dally so yeah, it's possible for a soc to be with a greaser.**

**Miss Cheerful: The whole making a move thing is coming up in the next chapter or twoswear to God…besides the story is just heating up, the whole people returning/chaos occurring thing is going to happen…now.**

**Here's Chapter 5, R&R!**

**- - - - -**

**Chapter 5**

**- - - - -**

April ran most of the way to the house and then as she neared her neighborhood, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder, startling her.

She spun around and saw Randy.

"Uh…" April stammered.

"Don't." Randy stopped her.

April quickly nodded.

Randy stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pleated khaki pants, "Look," he sighed, "I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night…I was kind of drunk,"

_Kind of?_ April resisted the urge to say.

April nodded and he went on, "I'm not usually like that…I had like 4 beers before the rumble which is even more unlike me, so I just wanted to let you know so we don't start getting a bad vibe…to tell you the truth, I kinda get along with greasers,"

"Really?" April asked.

Randy nodded, "They're good kids, that Ponyboy is pretty special, so is that guy who fought me last night, that was really far out…him sticking up for you like that,"

"Sodapop?"

Randy nodded, "He's a good guy, he must like you,"

"He dated my best friend,"

"Didn't you just move here?" Randy asked.

"My best friend back in Florida,"

"Now I'm confused…oh, wait…you mean Sandy Mathis?"

April nodded, "She's the one,"

"They were a really cool couple…definitely love," Randy said, "Did you know they were going to get married?"

April nodded, "Soda mentioned it and then she left,"

Randy nodded, "She was a looker, rumor had it…she had to leave because she got pregnant,"

That made April's heart stop, Sandy and Soda had slept together.

"Was it Soda's?" She stammered out the question.

Randy shook his head, "I don't think so…she was kind of fooling around with some Soc…"

"Was his name Johnson?"

Randy nodded, "How'd you know?"

"He's the one she _did_ mention, she never mentioned a guy named Sodapop…of course I didn't tell Soda about Johnson, just that she never mentioned having a boyfriend,"

"You might not ever want to mention Johnson to Sodapop…I don't think he'd like it too much, what went on last night was very much unlike him, Johnson was the guy tugging on him,"

April nodded in understanding.

Randy let out a sigh, "And I've let you know too much already…just wanted to apologize, see if everything was okay with us?"

April nodded, "Yeah…thanks for apologizing, I guess I'm just not used to being treated that way so it was no big deal,"

"Next time I'm drunk I won't go to the rumble,"

April laughed, "Deal,"

"So anyways, I'll see you around…"

"Yeah, definitely, see you Randy,"

"Bye April," Randy said with a wave and then walked off down the street.

April turned around and headed home.

- - - - -

"Mom?" April asked, walking into her house.

All she noticed was a note on the banister of the staircase she picked it up:

_April-_

_I have done had it with life…I went to pick up more liquor._

_-Mom_

April knew that only meant one thing.

Trouble.

"Oh no," April panicked she raced out of the house as fast as she could.

She ran down the many streets of Tulsa until she reached the DX station, she saw her mom pulling out of the parking lot.

"MOM!" April yelled. "MOM!"

She chased after her mother's car as she saw the traffic light turn red, and her mother drive through it.

"MOM!" she called again, but it was too late.

Her mother's car had crashed.

- - - - -

April sat in the waiting room of the hospital, glancing around the walls that were painted blandly with small pictures of children.

She leaned her head back in the chair as tears slowly slid down her cheeks, of course she always said she hated her mom but nothing like this had ever happened.

"April Highland?" the doctor asked, emerging from the emergency corridors.

"Yes?" April shot up.

"We tried all we could but she was drunk driving and…"

It all blurred together after that she caught words like _driver, collided, engine, lap, burn._

April couldn't breathe. She went tearing out of the hospital as fast as she could …all of this was flying through her head so fast it was unreal.

_Unreal, _April thought, _it's not real, I'll wake up in a few minutes in my bed, that's it… it's just a dream._

"April?" a soft voice asked from behind her.  
She spun around and saw Sodapop, "I heard about your mom…Steve told me, he saw her crash, I'm really sorry, is she okay?"

April sucked in a deep breath, "She's…dead," she choked out the last part.

Next thing she knew, his arms were around her and she was sobbing into his tee shirt.

"I didn't want this to happen, I wished for it so much but I didn't want it to _really _happen!" she wailed.

"Its okay, it's okay," Soda said, rubbing her back soothingly.

- - - - -

A week later April stood in the church looking around at all the people she knew, she was wearing a black blouse with a black A Line skirt and black pumps, her hair was pulled into a bun and she had barely any makeup, she looked somewhat thinner and paler, she had barely eaten.

None of the greasers or Socs (meaning Cherry, Marcia or Randy) were there, Soda had asked if she wanted him to come with her but she politely said no, it was hard enough as it was.

Her eyes stopped and so did her heart when she saw both Ron and Sandy standing across the aisle from her.

She sucked in a deep breath as the funeral proceeded.

- - - - -

"April!" two excited voices exclaimed at the reception after the funeral.

April was standing in the parking lot trying to escape the people.

Obviously no such luck.  
She turned around and saw Ron and Sandy run towards her, next thing she knew, their arms were flung around her.

"Hi guys," she said hugging them back.  
As they broke away she got a good look at both of them, not that they looked much different than the last time she saw them.

Ron had golden blonde hair that was cut to below his ears and flipped out, he had ocean blue eyes, tan skin, and a tall and athletic frame. He was one of the most popular guys at her old school and no doubt in her mind that he probably still was.

Sandy still had her chestnut brown hair, tan skin, and puppy dog brown eyes, she was an envy of most of the girls at her old school, she was beautiful, she was tall, she was thin, she was smart, and she was friendly to everyone, everybody's best friend.

April had to wander if she had had a miscarriage or an abortion or if it was all just a rumor.

"How are you holding up sweetie?" Ron asked, giving her a small kiss on the lips.

"I'm okay," she sighed.

"I can't believe you live in _Tulsa_," Sandy exclaimed, looking over the place, not that she could see much from the parking lot.

"April?" a voice asked from behind her.

She spun around and saw her dad, "Daddy!" she exclaimed and flew into his arms with a hug.

"How are you honey?"

"I'm okay, I could be better,"

"Natalie, the kids and I will be staying with you for a while,"

"Daddy, you gave up New York for me?"

"You're my daughter, what'd you expect?" he asked, giving her a small smile, "Hello Ron, Sandy,"

"Hi Mr. Highland," the two replied in unison.

"I guess I'll let you get caught up with your friends see you at home," her dad said, giving her a soft kiss on the temple and then joining his wife and fraternal twin daughter and son and leaving.

"I wonder if Johnson is here…" Sandy drifted off.

April rolled her eyes.

"Let's go look around…well actually, let's change first." Sandy said and took both of her friend's hands and getting into her white Pony Mustang Convertible with red leather interior. April had adored Sandy's car for as long as she knew her.

She loved having them back.

But definitely more Sandy than Ron.


End file.
